Has this ever happened to you? You feel frazzled, have difficulty concentrating, sleeping and “getting your life together”. You feel like a “walking dead”. You have been told that your problems are stress related, but you are not sure why you are stressed. All the medication that you are taking is not working. Well it is possible that your problems are a result of unbalanced energies.

I frequently see patients who have symptoms which somehow do not appear to “add up” to a definite diagnosis. Many times they have an imbalance in their energies.

Eastern philosophy is based on the premise that all life occurs within the circle of nature. All things within this matrix are connected. They are mutually dependent on each other. The source of all things is the tao, with complementary aspects: yin and yang. It is the play between yin and yang, which creates ki (chi)energy. Nature is in constant motion. When the elements of nature are in balance, life is harmonic and flourishes. When the balance of polar forces is upset, disaster looms.

The course of our everyday lives require that we balance the yin(the interior process of nurturing the self) with the yang (the exterior work of the world). Our activity in the world is necessary for our productivity. As the day draws to a close we retreat from the business of the day to rest, relax and sleep in order to replenish our store of chi for the day that follows.

Modern life is filled with constant, often frenetic activity. We are often so consumed with productivity that we neglect giving time for the self to be replenished. To over exercise, overwork or over party is to overindulge in yang, which leads to burnout of yin. The fact is that the body cannot tolerate for long, consuming more than is replaced. Some of the consequences of this imbalance may be problems with the muscles, bones, joints, heart or kidneys; other consequences can be as serious as a heart attack.

On the other hand to be preoccupied with matters of internal health could mean an overemphasis on the yin phase. An analogy is that of an avid collector who keeps acquiring so many objects that have potential value, that he has no energy to put his hidden treasures to use in a productive manner. So in this case the yin is protected but the yang is without life.

Webster’s New World Dictionary describes balance as “a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equality in amount, weight, value or importance as between two things or the parts of a thing; mental or emotional stability”. Ms. Donna Brown, a Reiki Master/energy practitioner who practices in Jamaica, states that “balance pertains to optimum health within our life cycle. For instance one cycle can be the career, another home and family.” The challenge is to balance body, mind and spirit within that life cycle focus. We need to remember that life is not static and our focus changes as we grow.

We are rarely balanced in everything at the same time. The importance of balance is that it keeps body systems in optimum working order. The body was created for balance.

We need to pay attention to what helps keep us in balance, especially in these times of pollution, high stress living and immune system breakdown. I recommend a wholistic approach for achieving balance.

SPIRITUAL FOCUS

It is important that we understand and accept the mind body spirit connection. We tend to underestimate our individual power to heal. We are composed of trillions of cells which are imprinted with divine intelligence and wisdom. We need to frequently and regularly connect with our divine source through prayer, meditation and quiet contemplation.

EXERCISE

The following are some practical tips to incorporate regular exercise into a busy schedule.

• Include exercise in activities of daily – this includes vigorous housework. Walk vigorously for at least twenty minutes, three times each week; while doing this swing the arms and legs. There are numerous video tapes and television programmes which are made for guiding viewers with specific exercises.

• If one is sitting at a desk for long hours, stretch every couple of hours and walk around every two to four hours. If you have been cooped up in your office, go outside, stand in the sun and inhale fresh air.

• Walk instead of driving

• Use the stairs instead of the elevator

ENERGY BALANCE

There are a number of universal energy healing modalities, including Bowen technique, Reiki , Quantum touch and emotional freedom technique (EFT).

Energies can also be balanced through deep breathing exercises, meditation

and living simply by un-cluttering the mind .

Ms. Donna Brown has provided this simple exercise designed to relieve stress

deep breathe in through the nostrils and out through the mouth (as if blowing through a straw)

lightly place the fingertips of both hands on the forehead covering the “Oh my God” points . Place the thumbs on the temples next to the eyes. Breathe deeply. Relax and remove the hands. Repeat as necessary.

NUTRITION

We must not underestimate the importance of good nutrition. This is essential to balance. Food can have a profound effect on the functioning of the body. If you are experiencing prolonged stress, you are at risk of developing heart disease, cancer, infections, gastritis, peptic ulcer disease. Numerous studies have demonstrated that adequate nutrition can help to prevent or minimize the effects of these diseases .

The solution to this problem is to elevate the quality of the food we consume – that means that we need to limit the anti- nutrients in the diet – These include poor quality fats, poor quality white flour, poor quality sugar, poor quality dairy and poor quality meats.

So practically how can we achieve balance in our lives? This can be done by the use of nutrition, supplements, herbs, physical exercise, magnetic therapy, aromatherapy massage, energy balancing, mental discipline and modification of life style habits. These forms of therapy can reestablish the rhythmic swing of the Yin- Yang pendulum.

Dr. Jacqueline Elaine Campbell is a family physician whose special interests are Pharmacology, and the use of Alternative/Complementary Medicine in the treatment of diabetes and other diseases that are common in Jamaica.

She is the author of A Patient’s Guide to the Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus.